Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2014
Multicenter Study Observational StudyAssessment of reasons for referral and activities of hospital palliative care teams using a standard format: a multicenter 1000 case description.
The many benefits of hospital palliative care teams (PCTs) are well known. However, their specific activities have not been fully clarified, and no standardized methods for reporting PCT activities are available. ⋯ The components of hospital PCT activities were successfully measured using the Standard Format for Reporting Hospital PCT Activity. The results of this study and the format for reporting hospital PCT activity could be effective in improving hospital PCT practice and for the education of new hospital PCT members.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2014
Multicenter StudyEconomic impact of advanced pediatric cancer on families.
Despite emerging evidence of substantial financial distress in families of children with complex illness, little is known about economic hardship in families of children with advanced cancer. ⋯ The economic impact of pediatric advanced cancer on families is significant at all income levels, although poorer families suffer disproportionate losses. Development of ameliorative intervention strategies is warranted.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2014
Multicenter Study Observational StudyDevelopment of a six-month prognostic index in patients with advanced chronic medical conditions: the PALIAR score.
Efforts in developing useful tools to properly identify the end-of-life trajectory of patients with advanced medical diseases have been made, but the calibration and/or discriminative power of these tools has not been optimal. ⋯ The PALIAR score is a precise and reliable tool for identifying the end-of-life trajectory in patients with advanced medical diseases.